She always worked hard. It was a happy thing to have her around.
She superintended the servants, automatically taking the role of a housekeeper. She always prepared his bandages herself by hand. And she always spoke to Georgiana every morning, made her laugh, and encouraged her to smile.
She kept up a correspondence with friends in London. When she infrequently was not busy, she improved her mind by extensive reading—usually with texts of a medical nature.
That day Darcy twice more made the effort to walk about the room, and by the third time he was finding it an easier task than at first.
The next morning, he managed to walk a full circuit of the room without any help.
After breakfast that day, Sally went out with little George who was bouncing and wild for a run about in a park, or to sit about on the beach with the children from the neighboring houses whom he’d made an acquaintance with. Emily being most absorbed in playing with the piano with Georgiana did not go out.
As Darcy understood it, George in fact did have a great deal of automatic respect amongst the children round about on the basis of his father having been killed in a duel.
Shortly after the child had gone out, Colonel Fitzwilliam said to Darcy, “I fear that my business will take me away in a few days. Your wound is starting to close over. I’ve seldom seen anything heal in a neater way. You do not need me at present—while my regiment needs me desperately.”
“The essential colonel,” Elizabeth said. “I have heard often of how regiments cannot function without their commanding officer.”
“Precisely,” Colonel Fitzwilliam replied.
Darcy shook his cousin’s hand. “When shall you leave?”
“I think the day after tomorrow.”
“I shall miss you—we will see you again at Christmas?”
“Like as not. I do not believe they intend to send my regiment to the Peninsula. But the workings of the war department are oft a mysterious thing.”
Elizabeth also smiled at Colonel Fitzwilliam and said, “It has been a pleasure making your acquaintance.”
“And yours as well.”
“Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth then said, “since departures are being announced, I also plan to leave a few days after your wound fully closes. It should be another week.”
Darcy swallowed. “So soon?”
She laughed, “I will have been your guest for more than a month at that point. That does not qualify as alittlestay.”
“You plan to leave?” Georgiana exclaimed.
“You can hardly expect me to remain forever,” Elizabeth replied.
She smiled at Darcy’s sister and took her hand. “I have been pleased to meet you, and I hope we shall remain friends. Please write freely to me, though I suspect I may be occupied so much that I will return your letters a little less quickly than I would wish to.”
“But—but…I relied upon you. Don’t go. Please.”
“Georgie,” Elizabeth said in a way that had some significance to it, “you will do well.”
The girl then leaned up to Elizabeth and whispered something into her ear.
Elizabeth nodded to her and then embraced her and whispered something back to Georgiana.
Georgiana fiercely embraced Elizabeth and then started sobbing. Elizabeth held her and patted her on the back.
Darcy felt a sort of sick clenching in his stomach. He did not want to her to go. He could not manage without Elizabeth. He would have, and this was an actual fact, probably have died without her.
Colonel Fitzwilliam frowned as he watched Elizabeth with Georgiana.
Darcy wondered if the suspicions that Colonel Fitzwilliam had at first had about her had not been wholly removed by time and observation.
